PM, Burke won't attend biodiversity summit

The chief of the United Nations' Convention on biodiversity says he is disappointed that Australia's Environment Minister, Tony Burke, will not be at a major conference on the topic in Japan.

World leaders will meet in Nagoya next week to come up with new targets to slow the rapid loss of plant and animal species.

But Mr Burke and the Prime Minister will not be attending.

Doctor Ahmed Djoghlaf has told Lateline the world has already missed the biodiversity targets set for this year.

"We are shaping what we call the next biodiversity strategy for the 10 years to come and these strategies need to be owned, not only by the civil servant and the high official, it will be owned by those who have the responsibility to implement it," he said.

"Not having the Minister for Environment in charge of this new strategy is of course a disappointment."